DAVID PETERS FROM CARDROSS SENTENCED AFTER ONLINE PREDATION AND BLACKMAIL OF 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN DUNBARTONSHIRE

In February 2013, a disturbing case of online abuse and exploitation came to light involving David Peters, a 24-year-old resident of Cardross, Dunbartonshire. The victim, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, endured a harrowing ordeal that began when she expressed interest in Peters’s band, The Listeners, by liking their Facebook page. Shortly thereafter, Peters, operating under an alias, sent her a friend request, initiating a series of manipulative and predatory interactions that would last for over a year.

Initially, the girl believed she was engaging with a peer and confided in him about her life. Despite her parents’ efforts to safeguard her online activity—installing controls and warnings—they were unaware that she was accessing the internet via her iPod, which was not subject to the same restrictions. This vulnerability allowed Peters to continue his sinister campaign undetected, as he used false online identities such as Davie Doom and Kiing David III, although she first knew him as David Vasoli.

Over time, Peters gained her trust, gradually worming his way into her confidence. His manipulative tactics escalated when he discovered she had been chatting with a boy online, which triggered a jealous and aggressive response. Peters’s behavior grew increasingly threatening, and he exploited the secrets she had shared with him to blackmail her into sending explicit images. The girl, feeling powerless, complied out of fear and a sense of helplessness, believing she had no other choice.

As her distress deepened, she attempted to sever ties with Peters by unfriending him on social media. However, he retaliated by creating a fake profile impersonating an old schoolmate and added her as a friend to monitor her activity. His threats intensified, culminating in a chilling message that warned her of imminent violence: “Tell the ******* slag she better find a ******* way to get on msn because I’m about to slaughter her. I’m absolutely about to murder *****, she’s got about 10 minutes to unblock me and get the *** on msn or I will actually see her in person after work on Monday.”

Terrified, the girl deleted her account, but Peters’s harassment did not cease. He began contacting her schoolmates, further escalating her fear. Recognizing the severity of the situation, she confided in school staff, who promptly contacted the police. During the investigation, authorities discovered that Peters had posted her nude images on Facebook, with her face blurred but still recognizable. This revelation compounded her feelings of shame and self-blame, as she believed she had somehow brought this upon herself.

Law enforcement traced the images back to Peters, leading to his arrest and subsequent charges. At Dumbarton Sheriff Court, he pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including allowing indecent photos to be taken and distributed, sending offensive and sexual messages via Facebook, threatening to locate and harm the girl if she did not respond, and creating a fake profile to manipulate her communication between November 2010 and February 2012.

On the day of sentencing, Peters received a two-year probation order. The court also ordered him to refrain from using the internet, except for college work related to his trainee mechanic’s course. Despite this, at least one of his Facebook pages remained online the night after his sentencing, raising doubts about the enforcement of the court’s restrictions. The girl’s mother expressed her outrage, emphasizing that Peters was aware her daughter was underage but continued to torment her in a sinister and sick manner.

Advocates and politicians condemned the leniency of the sentence. Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald remarked that it was surprising that a grown man could threaten and abuse a 14-year-old girl with such impunity, with the only punishment being a restriction on social media use. Justice campaigner Norman Brennan echoed these sentiments, asserting that such a campaign of terror against a vulnerable young girl should have resulted in imprisonment, highlighting concerns about the adequacy of the justice system in protecting victims of online abuse.